Hazardous driving conditions

When hazardous driving conditions are encountered, such as water, snow, ice, mud, sand, or similar hazards, follow these suggestions:

• Drive cautiously and allow extra distance for braking.

• Avoid sudden braking or steering.

• Do not pump the brake pedal on a vehicle equipped with ABS.

• If stalled in snow, mud, or sand, use second gear. Accelerate slowly to avoid spinning the drive wheels.

• Use sand, rock salt, or other nonslip material under the drive wheels to provide traction when the vehicle is stuck in ice, snow, or mud.

Reducing the risk of a rollover

This multi-purpose passenger vehicle is defined as a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV). Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles. SUVs have higher ground clearance and narrower track to make them capable of performing in a wide variety of off-road applications.

Specific design characteristics give them a higher center of gravity than ordinary vehicles. An advantage of the higher ground clearance is a better view of the road, which allows you to anticipate problems.

They are not designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional passenger vehicles, any more than low-slung sports vehicles are designed to perform satisfactorily in off-road conditions. Due to this risk, driver and passengers are strongly recommended to buckle their seat belts.

In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. There are precautionary measures that a driver can take to reduce the risk of rollover.

If possible, avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers, do not load your roof rack with heavy cargo, and never modify your vehicle in any way.

WARNING

• Your vehicle is equipped with tires designed to provide safe ride and handling capability. Do not use tires and wheels that are different in size and type from the originally installed ones. It can affect the safety and performance of your vehicle, which could lead to steering failure or rollover and serious injury. When replacing the tires, be sure to equip all four tires with the tire and wheel of the same size, type, tread, brand and load-carrying capacity.

• As with other Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), failure to operate this vehicle correctly may result in loss of control, an accident or vehicle rollover.

  • Utility vehicles have a significantly higher rollover rate than other types of vehicles.

  • Specific design characteristics (higher ground clearance, narrower track, etc.) give this vehicle a higher center of gravity than ordinary vehicles.

  • A SUV is not designed for cornering at the same speeds as conventional vehicles.

  • Avoid sharp turns and abrupt maneuvers.

  • In a rollover crash, an unbelted person is significantly more likely to die than a person wearing a seat belt. Make sure everyone in the vehicle is properly buckled up.

Rocking the vehicle

If it is necessary to rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand, or mud, first turn the steering wheel right and left to clear the area around your front wheels. Then, shift back and forth between R (Reverse) and any forward gear position.

Do not race the vehicle, and spin the wheels as little as possible. If you are still stuck after a few tries, have the vehicle pulled out by a tow vehicle to avoid vehicle overheating and possible damage to the reduction gear.

WARNING

Do not attempt to rock the vehicle if people or objects are nearby. The vehicle may suddenly move forward or backwards as it becomes unstuck.

CAUTION

• Prolonged rocking may cause vehicle overheating, reduction gear damage or failure, and tire damage.

• Do not spin the wheels, especially at speeds more than 56 km/h (35 mph). Spinning the wheels at high speeds when the vehicle is stationary could overheat and damage tires, and the rotating wheels may fly away and injure bystanders.

NOTICE

The Electronic Stability Control (ESC) should be turned OFF prior to rocking the vehicle.

Smooth cornering

Avoid braking or gear changing while cornering, especially when the road is wet. Ideally, corners should always be negotiated with gentle acceleration. If you follow these suggestions, tire wear will be kept to a minimum.

Driving at night

Because night driving presents more hazards than driving in the daylight, here are some important tips to remember:

• Slow down and keep more distance between you and other vehicles as it may be more difficult to see at night, especially in areas where there are no street lights.

• Adjust your mirrors to reduce the glare from other driver's headlamps.

• Keep your headlamps clean and properly aimed. (On vehicles not equipped with the automatic headlamp aiming feature.) Dirty or improperly aimed headlamps will make it much more difficult to see at night.

• Avoid staring directly at the headlamps of oncoming vehicles. You could be temporarily blinded, and it will take several seconds for your eyes to readjust to the darkness.

Driving in the rain

Rain and wet roads can make driving dangerous, especially if you are not prepared for the slick surface.

Here are a few things to consider when driving in the rain:

• A heavy rainfall will make it harder to see and will increase the distance needed to stop your vehicle, so slow down.

• Keep your windshield-wiping equipment in good shape. Replace your windshield wiper blades when they show signs of streaking or missing areas on the windshield.

• If your tires are not in good condition, having to stop quickly on a wet surface can cause a skid and possibly lead to an accident. Be sure your tires are in good shape.

• Turn on your headlamps to make it easier for others to see you.

• Driving too fast through large puddles can affect your brakes. If you must drive through puddles, try to go through them slowly.

• If you believe you got your brakes wet, apply them lightly while driving until normal brake operation returns.

Hydroplaning

If the road is wet enough and you are going fast enough, your vehicle may have little or no contact with the road surface and actually ride on the water. The best advice is to SLOW DOWN when the road is wet.

The risk of hydroplaning increases as the depth of tire tread decreases, refer to More Details.

Driving in flooded areas

Avoid driving through flooded areas unless you are sure the water is no higher than the bottom of the wheel hub. Drive through any water slowly. Allow adequate stopping distance as brake performance may be affected.

After driving through water, dry the brakes by gently applying them several times while the vehicle is moving slowly.

If the brake system is wet and has reduced braking effect or frequent sounds when braking, adjust the setting for the regenerative braking to '0' speed with paddle shifter and apply the brake pedal lightly several times. Maintain a safe distance to dry the brake system.

Setting the regenerative braking to '0' may reduce efficiency while braking several times for brake performance, but this is normal. The regenerative braking system will be normally operated afterwards.

Highway driving

Tires

Adjust the inflation pressures of the tires in accordance with their specifications. Low tire inflation pressures will result in overheating and possible failure of the tires.

Avoid using worn or damaged tires since they may provide reduced traction or fail completely.

Never exceed the maximum tire inflation pressure shown on the tires.

WARNING

• Always check the tires for proper inflation before driving. Underinflated or overinflated tires can cause poor handling, loss of vehicle control, and sudden tire failure, leading to accidents, injuries, and even death. For proper tire pressures, refer to More Details.

• Always check the tire tread before driving your vehicle. Worn-out tires can result in loss of vehicle control. Worn-out tires should be replaced as soon as possible. For further information and tread limits, refer to More Details.